SENSOR APPARATUS AND METHOD BASED ON WAVELENGTH CENTROID DETECTION

• US 20150185139A1
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kiesel, Peter, Raghavan, Ajay, Saha, Bhaskar, Lochbaum, Alexander, Staudt, Tobias, Sommer, Lars Wilko
• Granted Patent: US 9,201,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7753 Reagent layer on photoelectrical transducer
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7783 Transmission, loss
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7786 Fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7793 Sensor comprising plural indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/27 using photo-electric detection G01N21/31 takes precedence; circuits for computing concentration logarithmic circuits G06G7/24; photometric circuits in general G01J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/645 Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/77 by observing the effect on a chemical indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/7703 using reagent-clad optical fibres or optical waveguides using measurement of total internal reflection or attenuated total reflection G01N21/552; optical fibres or waveguides per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/78 producing a change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0612 Laser diodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/062 LED's
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/08 Optical fibres; light guides

Abstract

Sensor material is arranged to interact with input light and to asymmetrically alter a spectral distribution of the input light in response to presence of an external stimulus. A detector is configured to sense the altered input light and to generate at least one electrical signal comprising information about a shift in the centroid of a spectral distribution of the altered input light relative to a centroid of the spectral distribution of the input light.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an analyte-specific sensor material arranged to interact with input light and to asymmetrically alter a spectral distribution of the input light in response to presence of a specific analyte; and

a detector configured to sense the altered input light and to generate at least one electrical signal comprising information about a shift in the centroid of a spectral distribution of the altered input light relative to a centroid of the spectral distribution of the input light in response to presence of the specific analyte.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the analyte-specific sensor material has an absorption spectrum that is non-centered with respect to an illumination spectrum of a light source that produces the input light.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the analyte-specific sensor material has a fluorescence spectrum that is non-centered with respect to an illumination spectrum of a light source that produces the input light.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the analyzer is configured to determine a magnitude of the shift in the centroid of the altered input light.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the analyte-specific sensor material is situated at the detector.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the input light is produced by a light emitting device; and

the analyte-specific sensor material is situated at the light emitting device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the input light is produced by a light emitting device;

an optical wave guide is disposed between the light emitting device and the detector; and

the analyte-specific sensor material is situated on the optical wave guide.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a light emitting device arranged to provide the input light;

wherein the light emitted by the light emitting device is spectrally shifted to produce the input light.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a light emitting device arranged to provide the input light;

wherein the light emitted by the light emitting device is spectrally shifted by a phosphor to produce the input light.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the analyte-specific sensor material comprises an array of analyte-specific materials arranged to interact with the input light, each of the analyte-specific materials arranged to asymmetrically alter a spectral distribution of the input light in response to presence of a specific analyte associated with each of the analyte-specific materials; and

the detector is configured to determine shifts in each of the centroids of the altered input light relative to a centroid of the spectral distribution of the input light in response to presence of the specific analytes.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising an array of light emitting devices, each light emitting device emitting light associated with a particular analyte-specific material.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the light emitted by each light emitting device is spectrally shifted to produce the input light for a particular analyte-specific sensor material.

13. A system, comprising:

sensor material arranged to interact with input light and to asymmetrically alter a spectral distribution of the input light in response to presence of an external stimulus; and

a detector configured to sense the altered input light and to generate at least one electrical signal comprising information about a shift in the centroid of a spectral distribution of the altered input light relative to a centroid of the spectral distribution of the input light.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the analyzer is configured to determine a magnitude of the shift in the centroid of the altered input light.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensor material has an absorption spectrum that is non-centered with respect to an illumination spectrum of a light source that produces the input light.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensor material has a fluorescence spectrum that is non-centered with respect to an illumination spectrum of a light source that produces the input light.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the detector comprises a position-dependent photo detection arrangement.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the detector comprises a linear variable filter and a split-diode detection arrangement.

19. A method, comprising:

causing sensor material to interact with input light, the sensor material asymmetrically altering a spectral distribution of the input light in response to presence of an external stimulus;

sensing altered input light; and

generating at least one electrical signal comprising information about a shift in the centroid of a spectral distribution of the altered input light relative to a centroid of the spectral distribution of the input light.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining a magnitude of the shift in the centroid of the altered input light.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the external stimulus comprises an analyte.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the external stimulus comprises an electromagnetic field.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the external stimulus comprises a temperature.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the external stimulus comprises a gas concentration.